anaphylaxis and food preservatives/dyes

After eating cereal for years, i suffered an anaphylactic episode after ingesting a well known breakfast cereal. i was tested for food allergies with no positive results.  the doctor suggests the culprit must be food dyes or preservatives...is there a specific way to test for this?  i fear i'm playing roulette each time i sit down to a meal.  thanks!            chattypatty661...

[FurballsMom]

If an allergist can't or won't test for the dyes and preservatives being the culprit, see a naturopath.  My cousin tested positive for these allergies years ago when we were still kids.

By the way, be aware that you can have intolerances to these things without a specific full blown allergy.  That's like a hidden food allergy.  Intolerances are usually less dangerous than full blown allergies, but you still need to avoid the culprits or suffer the consequences.

I've taken to avoiding processed, packaged and canned foods myself.  I don't think I'm nearly as bad off as my cousin is, but I still avoid the stuff because I still have bad reactions of all kinds.  So, I still have intolerances to this stuff.

I hope your doctor has at least prescribed an epi-pen for you, since you still aren't sure what the culprits are when you're eating and you've had anaphylaxis at least once.  As you know, once is all it takes if you don't get medical help immediately.

If your allergist hasn't tested you for the most common food allergens that a naturopath would have you figure out if you're intolerant to with an elimination diet, definitely do that, because you can develop new allergies at any time and any stage of your life.  The fact that you've been eating the same breakfast cereal for years is what suggests that it's not just the preservatives and the dyes in the cereal.  It could be something like a hidden source or corn, or soy--even if it's a wheat cereal.  A lot of us can't tolerate the gluten protein, but you would've figured that out already if it were the gluten.  However, a lot of the sweeteners are chemically processed corn based derivatives with a whole host of different names.  These are added to a whole host of foods and are full of chemicals to make the sweeteners out of corn.  So, they're all different types of high fructose corn syrup--basically.  That stuff is full of sulfites and other chemicals used to process it into the sweetener itself.  That's just one of the reasons the stuff is so bad for people and is so much worse for people than table sugar.  (As far as table sugar goes--make sure you avoid beet sugar for the same reasons.)

Then, there is the problem with the major food grains in the American diet being grown as genetically modified (GMO) foods, which is known to cause these new and worsening food allergies in people.  Corn and soy are very pervasive in the diet and are usually GMO grown.  And, don't forget that the majority of the wheat on the market is no better and is also hybrid and contains at least 85% gluten content--making it no surprise that there are more and more people finding out they are gluten intolerant these days than ever before.

I make mention of these things, because the unfortunate truth is that the majority of the population has no idea that these things have been and are happening right now with the food supply.  It's very bad for sensitive people, and it's creating more and more new health problems.  People who have never had such food allergies are finding out the hard way, just like you did, that something is wrong with the food they're eating, and now they're no longer able to eat some of the things they've eaten their entire lives.

Think of it this way--If your great grandparents wouldn't have recognized what you're eating as food--don't touch it.  It's safer that way in regards to the preservatives and the dyes.  Yes, this means your favorite soda, too.  Sodas were not originally made with high fructose corn syrup, but now the majority of them are.  The ones with cane sugar are better, but please use those as a special treat and not a regular part of your diet.  If you trace the history of the invention of soda pop, you will find out that it was originally intended to be used medicinally and not as a regular part of the diet.  Not that it has proven to be so great for people medicinally, since that's a given with the information we have these days, but even back in those days people didn't drink the stuff all the time.  And, too, sugar just wasn't consumed at alarming rates like it is these days.  If you're going to treat yourself--stay away from the corn derived sweeteners and stay away from beet sugar.  It's very important.  And, too, don't consume large amounts of any sugar.  Sugar does cause inflammation and aggravates a whole host of health issues--including allergies.

[ChitChatNine]

Hi and Welcome,

Yes can be something very hidden in the cereal.

C~